68,000 liquor bottles found in soap van

Saudi customs men seized nearly 70,000 liquor bottles concealed in a soap shipment that tried to cross the border from the UAE.

Customs men searching the van at Al Badaha border point found around 3,600 large liquor bottles inside soap boxes.

About 64,800 bottles and cans of beer were also found in other boxes in the shipment, according to the Saudi daily 'Sabq', which did not identify the smugglers.

Alcohol is strictly banned in Saudi Arabia, one of the most conservative Muslim nations.